Optimism (OP)

Tokenomics & Utility

Supply and allocations

OP launched with an initial total supply of 4,294,967,296 tokens. The distribution was set to fuel long‑term ecosystem growth:

• 25% Ecosystem Fund (Governance, Partner, Seed, Unallocated)
• 20% Retroactive Public Goods Funding (RetroPGF reserve)
• 19% User airdrops
• 19% Core contributors
• 17% Investors

These allocations are administered over time by the Optimism Foundation as steward of the Collective. (community.optimism.io)

Inflation is determined by governance. Early docs referenced a 2% annual inflation, but since 2023 governance has set the inflation adjustment to 0%, and community templates in 2025 note that inflation remains at the last approved rate unless changed. Practically, that has meant 0% in recent years unless a vote sets a new rate. (gov.optimism.io)

Optimism has conducted multiple airdrops to widen participation. Airdrops 1–4 focused on early users, governance delegates, and cultural contributors across the Superchain. Airdrop 5 (announced late 2024) rewarded “power users” who engaged with many Superchain contracts. Future airdrops remain allocated in the tokenomics to continue broad distribution. (community.optimism.io)

Utility in governance and funding

OP is a governance token. OP holders can vote (directly or via delegation) in the Token House on protocol upgrades, budgets, and key parameters, while the Citizens’ House uses “1 member, 1 vote” to allocate RetroPGF to public goods. Together, both houses balance economic stake with identity‑based representation. (community.optimism.io)

Revenue sharing across the Superchain

The Superchain uses a standardized revenue model: each member chain pays the greater of 15% of net profit (fees minus L1 costs) or 2.5% of gross fees to the Optimism Collective; OP Mainnet contributes 100% of its net profit. This model helps fund public goods and aligns many chains around shared infrastructure. (community.optimism.io)